You're What?! Chapter 20: A New Beginning
Vegeta groaned ever so slightly and rolled over in bed, the resounding wail of his daughter reverberating through the baby monitor. His hand shot out and started groping the nightstand next to his side of the bed. After a moment's search, his hand enclosed around the device and he promptly turned down the volume. Turning back toward his mate, Vegeta slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the huge red numbers of their alarm clock announcing that it was 2:37 in the morning. His gaze then dropped down to this wife, surprised to still find her asleep. Normally, when the baby cried Bulma was up instantly, her motherly instincts finely attuned to the needs of her child. It spoke volumes on how exhausted she must be if she was not awake to tend to Bra.
Though barely audible through the speaker, Vegeta could still hear the cries of his two-month-old daughter. Unlike her brother, whom slept like a rock as a baby, Bra was proving to be quite the fickle sleeper. Sometimes she would go through the night without as much a peep; however, more times than not, she would be awake every other hour demanding the attention of her family. And truth be told, it was usually Bulma who answered the little princess' call. Studying his mate's profile in the moonlight, Vegeta noticed the dark circles that adorned her eyes, even in sleep. She also looked a good deal paler than normal, moonlight aside. Her breathing was very deep and even, a slight purring snore escaping with each breath that she exhaled. By the looks of it, his wife was not going to be waking up for anything short of the house blowing up. Lightly brushing away some of the hair from her face, Vegeta decided to let her sleep. Dende knew she could definitely use the rest. Perhaps, just this once, it wouldn't kill him to check up on the little Saiyan Princess.
Careful not to wake his slumbering mate, Vegeta rolled out of bed and made his way out of the bedroom. As he walked down the hall, he noticed bright flashes coming from his son's room, the door to the bedroom wide open. Making a slight detour, Vegeta stuck his head into his heir's room and noticed the television on, clearly showing that Trunks had fallen asleep while watching the ridiculous picture box. The boy, clad in a pair of black boxers adorned with the Capsule Corp. logo, similar to the one's Vegeta himself was sporting, and a white t-shirt was sprawled out on the top of his bed. Walking quickly into the room, Vegeta turned off the T.V. and grabbed his son's blanket off the floor. Trunks was a violent sleeper, notorious for kicking off his covers and ripping off the sheets. Placing the down comforter back over the sleeping prince, Vegeta looked at the boy before hesitantly brushing away some of his lavender locks from his forehead, much like he had done to Bulma only minutes ago. His son was adjusting well to having a new baby sister around, not that Vegeta had expected any problems. The boy was loved, nothing was going to change that, and he knew his son was bright enough to realize that too. Suddenly, Trunks turned onto his side, facing away from his father and mumbling, "I didn't do it!" Smirking, Vegeta left his son's room, closing the door behind him. Even in his dreams his boy was getting into trouble.
Moving on to his final destination, Vegeta opened up the door to his princess' nursery. Instantly, he was greeted with the troubled wails of his daughter. Stepping into the room, the Saiyan Prince made his way over to the crib and stared down at Bra. Her eyes were tightly shut, her face red and flushed. Her small hands were balled into tiny fists that were shaking back and forth madly. Vegeta smirked, his little girl wasn't getting attention and she certainly did not like it!
"And why are you making all this racket?" He asked to the crying baby, his deep and husky voice catching the attention of his daughter. Blinking rapidly, the infant's wails quieted into small whimpers as she looked up at her father. Since she was born, one thing had become apparent rather quickly: Bra loved the sound of her father's voice. No matter how much of a fit the young babe may be throwing, a few words from Vegeta was usually all it took to calm her down. Reaching down into the crib, Vegeta picked Bra up. Over the past two months, Vegeta had become more accustomed to handling the newborn baby; however, he still avoided having to do so whenever possible. Hence, he still looked rather awkward whenever he held his little girl. Settling Bra in the crook of his arm, Vegeta took a seat on the rocking chair Bulma had placed in the room next to the crib and began rocking slowly.
"So princess," Vegeta began his one-sided conversation with his daughter, using the girl's title unconsciously, "what is the matter with you? I know you can't be hungry; your mother just fed you a little over an hour ago. So that leaves one of two options," the rocking father spoke to his daughter softly, who was now watching her dad with rapt attention. "The first option is that you have a wet diaper, and if that is the case, you are out of luck kid. I don't do diapers. The second option is that you were lonely in here all by yourself and decided that you'd take advantage of the fact that you are a spoiled brat who knows someone always comes to your beck-and-call." Vegeta gave a snort of amusement as Bra gurgled happily and waved a fist about in the air. Something was telling the prince that the latter scenario was the one that was coming into play here. If there was one thing that Vegeta was learning it was that Bra Vegeta Briefs had her family wrapped around her tiny finger.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to leave the room until Bra was asleep, Vegeta continued rocking. Vegeta couldn't help but smirk as he looked down at his now complacent daughter. His princess, at the tender age of two months, was already beautiful. He had no doubts that she was going to look exactly like her mother, especially after he had seen a picture of Bulma when she was a baby and compared it to his own buddle of joy. Feather light, Vegeta ran his hand over the small tuff of blue hair gracing the babe's head and slowly ran a finger down the side of her face. Although her eyes were still that vague color all babies are born with, slight signs of crystal blue were beginning to come forth. She was perfect, that's all there was to it.
Vegeta didn't quite know how long he sat there basking in the beauty of his daughter, but he was eventually reminded that he had a duty to perform. More and more insistently, Bra began squirming about and making slight noises of protest. Apparently, she was getting rather discontent that her father was no longer talking to her. The princely fighter shook his head in disbelief. There was no doubting it that this little one was a princess through and through. She already knew how to get precisely what she wanted, and she couldn't even talk yet! Vegeta felt a fleeting moment of dread at that thought. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, Vegeta was resigned to the fate that he was completely enthralled with his daughter. Anything she wanted, she would get. He would be sure of it. She already had him doing things Vegeta had never even attempted to do with Trunks when he was still an infant. Thus, he knew the situation would only get worse as Bra grew older. When did it happen that the prince of all Saiyans became a pushover? Vegeta lightly frowned at that thought as he shifted the squirming princess to his other arm and sighed.
"All right, you can settle down now. I got the message." Vegeta clipped out, annoyance heard in his voice. The babe nestled in his arms immediately caught the change in her father's demeanor and reacted in the only way she knew how: she let out a shrill cry. Wincing at the sound his daughter emitted, Vegeta immediately started to rock the chair. "Bra, I'm not mad at you." He announced to the baby in a calm voice, cradling the infant closer to his body. "Come on little one, Saiyans don't cry." After a few more moments of mindless condolences, Bra's cries subsided and she snuggled back into her father's arms. Now that he had his little girl's attention again, Vegeta frantically wondered what he was going to talk to the girl about.
"I'm not good at stuff like this." Vegeta stated to his captivated audience. "I don't do stories, princess." Right as the word "princess" left his mouth, Vegeta suddenly had an amazing idea of how to keep his daughter entertained. Talking a deep breath, Vegeta began speaking again. However, to anyone on Earth, the words spilling forth from his lips would have sounded like gibberish for Vegeta was speaking the native tongue of his home planet. It wasn't often that the Saiyan Prince even used his dead language, yet, he knew Bra didn't know what he was saying one way or another. She was just listening to the inflection of his voice, nothing more. Hence, Vegeta started telling his daughter about her heritage. He talked about his life in the palace, the protocols of the royal family, and the customs of the Saiyan people. All the while, Bra watched her father almost unblinking; mesmerized by the throaty, growling language he was now using.
After finishing the story about his first kill ever, Vegeta paused and looked at the wall clock situated right above the door and was surprised to see that he had been talking to Bra for well over an hour now. The prince blinked at that. It wasn't often that he lost track of time. Usually, the only time that happened was when he was engaging in activities that created such things as the little buddle encased in his arms. Vegeta smirked at that thought. His wife's recovery from the childbirth and her surgery were almost complete. As soon as she got the go ahead from the doctor, Vegeta planned on sending the kids off to spend time with their grandparents, locking the woman in their bedroom and making up for lost time. The sexually frustrated husband let out a low growl. Those doctors better hurry up and give his mate a clean bill of health soon, or else he wouldn't be held accountable for his actions.
A small grunt snapped Vegeta back to reality, his thoughts of bedding Bulma put on hold for the moment. Looking down at Bra, Vegeta saw an extreme look of concentration upon the girl's face. His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what the little spoiled brat was up to now. Another little groan escaped from the small infant and Vegeta was greeted with a rather unpleasant odor. Disgusted, Vegeta stood up and put the baby on her changing table, not wanting to hold the girl while she did her business. The warrior watched over Bra, a frown adorning his face. After a moment or two, the look of concentration left her face. Vegeta was about to go back over to replace the girl in her crib and make a hasty get away, when the baby took a deep breath before letting out a wail of discomfort.
"Great," Vegeta mumbled under his breath as he looked down at the crying, thrashing baby. What was he supposed to do now? Well, one thing was for sure. He wasn't changing any diapers. The best thing to do would probably be to go get Bulma. Satisfied with that option, Vegeta approached his daughter warily before slowly reaching on down and picking her up under the arms. With his thumbs hooked under her armpits and the rest of his hands supporting her head, Vegeta held Bra at arms length. Holding his breath as though the child was emitting toxic fumes, Vegeta gently placed the girl back in her crib. Hurrying out into the hall, Vegeta shut the door to the nursery, effectively shutting out the wails of his daughter. Using his incredible speed, Vegeta was back in his bedroom in a flash.
Walking over to the bed with purpose, Vegeta looked down at his mate and sighed. She looked so peaceful, more so than she had in a while. At that moment, Bulma turned in the bed, her arm reaching out onto her husband's side of the bed. "Vegeta," the name escaped her lips, nothing more than a peaceful sigh. Vegeta turned his eyes skyward and groaned. Could he really wake her up? Two years ago, he would have said hell yes. Now, though, he knew he cared more about her needs than he did his own. Giving his wife one more look over, Vegeta turned to leave.
"You owe me woman," he whispered to his slumbering mate as he opened the door and left once again. He didn't notice Bulma stir slightly in the bed, nor did he notice her eyes slowly flutter open. Blinking away some of the sleep from her eyes, Bulma looked around the room in a daze. The first thing she noticed was that Vegeta was not on his side of the bed, and he was not in the bathroom. Turning her head to look at the alarm clock, Bulma realized that it was still just a tad bit early for her husband to be training, unless something was bothering him. A flash of worry stabbed through Bulma. Perhaps her mate had had a nightmare. Even though they were almost non-existent now, unlike when Vegeta first came to stay at Capsule Corporation, her mate, on occasion, still suffered through violent nightmares. Sometimes it was reliving a hellish moment with Frieza, other times it was reliving one of his deaths. Whatever it happened to be that he dreamt about, Vegeta understandable woke up shaken and unable to return to the land of slumber. Hence, instead of wasting time in bed, Vegeta would get up and work off his tension.
Groaning as she rolled on out of bed, Bulma walked over to her dressing table to grab her favorite white, terry-cloth robe. Distractedly tying the belt, Bulma walked back over to the bed to put on her slippers for her journey to the Gravity Room. It was once she was back by the bed that she heard a slight noise coming from Vegeta's side. Looking over on her husband's nightstand she saw the cause of the slight murmuring sound: the baby monitor. Crawling over the huge king-sized bed, Bulma picked up the monitor and quickly turned up the volume. Why would it be turned down in the first place? With the volume restored to a pitch clearly audible to human ears, Bulma was greeted with the disgruntled cries of her daughter.
"Oh no!" Bulma gasped, wondering how long her little one had been screaming for attention. Flustered, Bulma was about to put down the monitor when the voice of her AWOL husband came through the speaker.
"Give me a minute will you? I can't get this stupid thing off if you keep moving like that!" Vegeta instructed the small infant in a slightly exasperated voice. Bulma thought she was going to drop the device in her hand at the sound of her mate's voice. Vegeta had gone to take care of the baby for her so that she could sleep? That was so incredibly sweet! Clutching the baby monitor to her chest, Bulma broke out into an affectionate smile, her eyes literally shining with love and gratitude. Now matter how long she lived with the man, that pesky prince she called a mate always managed to surprise her. Bulma's adoring thoughts on her husband were quickly put on the back burner when a small gagging sound came from the monitor.
"Dende, girl! How can someone so small and delicate create something so hideously foul?" Vegeta's voice once again graced the ears of his mate. Bulma giggled at the slightly pinched off and nasal-like quality of his voice. She could just picture the normally stoic prince standing over Bra at the changing table, holding his nose with one hand as he desperately tried to remove the offending object into its proper receptacle. Bra must have also found the situation funny for at that moment a small laugh accompanied by a squeal of delight came through the speaker. Bulma placed the monitor closer to her ear in an attempt to hear the low mumbling that that definitely belonged to her husband. Apparently he wasn't finding the situation to be as humorous as his princess. Oblivious to her father's displeasure, other happy squeaks and babbles could be heard from their daughter. Now that the felonious diaper had been removed, all was right again in the babe's world.
"I'm glad you are having such a wonderful time," Vegeta's sarcastic reply to the baby's banter came through loud and clear. It was quickly followed by a groan of frustration. "Why won't you stay on?" Some rustling was heard through the monitor, and it was obvious that her mate was addressing the new diaper. Slowly shaking her head at the antics of her husband, Bulma placed the baby monitor down and rolled back off the bed. Exiting the room and padding quietly on down the hall, Bulma peaked her head on into the open door of the nursery. There she found Vegeta attempting to pull one of the sticky tabs of the diaper off the plastic outer covering. During his struggles, the tab had folded under and was now stuck to the same side of the diaper, thus, incapable of being able to secure the diaper closed. Bra watched her dad in fascination, wriggling around on the table and enjoying her freedom from the confines of a diaper. Surrounding the dynamic duo was a cloud of baby powder. Only Dende knows how much Vegeta had put on the girl's behind to form that big of a cloud.
"Whatcha doing, Vegeta?" Bulma asked with a small smile, leaning against the doorway of the nursery. Vegeta shot his mate a quick glare over his shoulder.
"What does it look like I am doing?" He snapped, embarrassed at being caught in an attempt to do something nice. He then let out a small sneeze due to the powder surrounding him. Desperate to get rid of the itch his nose was feeling, Vegeta gave his nose a quick rub with his hand, unintentionally wiping some of the powder onto his face.
"Well," Bulma replied with a laugh, "it looks like you are fighting with a disposable diaper…and losing."
"Whoever invented these blasted things needs to be shot." Vegeta ranted, totally ignoring Bulma's previous comment. "This stupid sticky tape stuff on the side is attached to the diaper and I can't get it off." Walking over to her agitated mate, Bulma gently took the diaper out of his hand. Gingerly, she pealed the tape back from the plastic; however, just when it looked like she was going to completely free the adhesive, the plastic ripped and remained on the tape. Bulma's face fell into a frown and Vegeta threw his wife a look that pretty much asked what they should do next.
"I almost had it," Bulma lamented for a moment, and then she let out a giggle. "I guess we will have to admit defeat." Opening up the diaper pail, Bulma dropped in the ripped diaper and grabbed a new one from off the shelf. "I'll take over from here, if you don't mind that is." The blue-haired mother stated with a smile. Vegeta motioned towards his daughter with both arms.
"By all means, Bulma, have at it." Vegeta quipped, glad his one and only diaper changing experience was now over. He then watched in amazement as his wife opened up the new diaper. Then, in four deft moves that took less than thirty seconds, Bulma had Bra clothed in the clean diaper. After snapping back up the infant's pajamas, Bulma picked up her carbon copy and turned around in triumph. Immediately the scientist bit her lip in an attempt to stifle a laugh as she got her first good luck at her mate. Vegeta stood next to his daughter's crib, a look of slight awe on his face. Unbeknownst to him, also on his face was a splash of white across the bridge of his nose from the baby powder.
"How did you manage to do that so fast? That little monster won't stay still for more than two seconds," Vegeta asked his wife as she joined his side, gently placing Bra back within the confines of her crib. Winding up her old mobile, Bulma turned towards her husband, the sound of "Hush Little Baby" twinkling throughout the room.
"I'm a mother, Vegeta. I've had plenty of practice." She replied with a small smirk. "If you want to be as fast and adept as me, you'll have to do a lot more practicing."
"Well, it will be a cold day in hell when that happens. This was a once in a lifetime thing, Bulma." The Saiyan warrior responded with no room for argument. Bulma just let out a small laugh and stepped closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Both parents looked down at the little life they created, fully content with life. Below them, Bra watched the animals hovering above her with eyes that were definitely attempting to fight off the call of sleep. After a few more minutes, the baby's eyes started closing and opening slowly before finally fluttering shut and remaining that way.
"She's so peaceful when she sleeps, isn't she Vegeta?" Bulma whispered to her husband, careful not to wake her finally sleeping daughter. Vegeta slipped an arm around his wife's waste, holding her more securely to his side.
"Just like her mother," was the unexpected response that Bulma received. Tilting her head up to gaze up into her mate's slightly powdered face; Bulma reached up on her tiptoes and kissed Vegeta full on the lips. Eager for the affections of his wife, Vegeta pulled his mate around so that they stood face to face as he returned the impassioned kiss. He pulled her flush against his body, his hands running down her sides, "accidentally" brushing across her slightly swollen breasts. A low, heady moan inadvertently escaped from Bulma. Realizing that they were still in their princess' room, Bulma reluctantly pulled away from her excited mate. Looking down at his flushed mate with hungry eyes, Vegeta held the woman within his grasp and proceeded to kiss along her jaw-line and on down her throat.
"Oh, Vegeta," Bulma began breathlessly, uncertain on what she could say to stop her mate's ministrations. Taking her sigh as a sign of consent, Vegeta once again began trailing his hands along her body and Bulma had half a mind to let him continue. She knew she wasn't allowed to have intercourse quite yet; however, that didn't mean she couldn't at least be pleasured and give back as good as she got. Finally though, as she bit back another moan, Bulma came up with something that would at least give Vegeta pause. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. Sure enough, Vegeta pulled back, unsure of what his mate was thanking him for. Seizing the opportunity, Bulma separated the bodies, without breaking out of Vegeta's grasp completely. Seeing the slight confusion flash through his lustful eyes, Bulma smiled softly. "For taking care of Bra. You were here for quite some time, weren't you?"
"It was no problem. And, no, I wasn't here long." Vegeta answered hastily, not interested in hearing Bulma's words of gratitude. She could show him how thankful she was. About to continue his assault on her slender neck, Bulma surprised him by wriggling out of his grasp and zipping on over to the rocking chair. Sitting down in the padded chair, Bulma looked up at her husband with a sly smile.
"You weren't here for long, eh?" Bulma asked her mate, who blushed slightly in embarrassment.
"What does it matter how long I was here for?" Vegeta snapped defensively. Bulma got back up from the chair and walked back over to her slightly agitated husband.
"It matters to me. You went out of your way to stay with Bra just so I could rest. I think that is the sweetest thing you have ever done for me." Bulma explained. Seeing that her mate did not like the idea of having done something construed as "sweet", the blue-haired genius added one more statement. "Besides," she said in a low, seductive voice, pressing back up against her mate, "I find it very sexy to see a man of your power being so gentle with our child." At that unexpected comment, Vegeta arched an eyebrow and smirked down at his mate. Giving his princess one last glance to make sure she was all settled in, Vegeta swiftly picked up his woman and carried her out of the nursery and into the hall. Closing the door, the Saiyan Prince pinned his wife up against the wall next to the door.
"Sexy, huh? Just how sexy do you find that?" Vegeta inquired of his mate in an equally low and husky voice.
"I find it very, very sexy," Bulma replied breathlessly as she placed her lips over his own. As their tongues battled, Bulma wrapped one leg around Vegeta's waist in an attempt to pull him closer. Letting out a low groan at the action, Vegeta once again began trailing his hands over his mate's body, not hesitating this time to pay particular attention to her voluptuous breasts.
"Oh for the love of all that is pure," A slightly disgruntled, disgusted, and sleepy voice cried out. Both Bulma and Vegeta turned their heads to see their son walking down the hallway towards them. Trunks put a hand over his eyes as he came closer to the pair, not wanting to see his mother's leg wrapped around his father's waist. And he especially didn't need to see anymore of his father's hands upon his mother's…um…upper chest. The entwined pair watched as their son past right on by them without a second glance. "Can't a kid get a mid-night snack without being scarred for life?" The lavender-haired boy questioned sarcastically as he made it to the stairs and proceeded to disappear. Once the boy was out of sight, Bulma looked up at her husband and blushed. Vegeta, on the other hand, grinned evilly.
"As much fun as it is to torture the boy, I think we should continue this elsewhere." Vegeta stated. The still somewhat flustered Bulma, nodded slightly. Granted, Trunks had never caught her and Vegeta having full-blown sex; however, she always felt horrible when her little boy caught his parents in a compromising situation. Noticing that he now had a distracted mate, Vegeta once again lifted the small woman into his arms and began to carry her on back to their room. As his wife curled into his chest, Vegeta once again thanked whatever god it was that had decided to let this little, spirited Earthling into his life. The Saiyan Prince did not think he would ever figure out what he had ever done to deserve the life that he now had, but he would be forever grateful that he was given it. Vegeta could not fathom how he could have ever spurned this sort of lifestyle in the past. To actually live in peace, to have a mate who was completely devoted to you, and to have children that loved you with everything they had; these things were not weak, they were empowering.
Entering the bedroom he had shared with his mate for almost twelve years, Vegeta placed his precious cargo gently on the huge bed in the center of the room. With the door closed and firmly locked, the Saiyan prince crawled over his mate and gazed down at her face, reveling in her beauty. With this woman he had created a family, something he never thought he would have. A piece of them would always live on through their slumbering infant and the traumatized boy in the kitchen. It was a thought that made Vegeta fill with pride. They were his legacy, the continuation of his royal linage. He had watched his son grow in a fine young man, a capable warrior, over these past ten years. It was a humbling, yet exhilarating, thought to know that he'd had some influence, and would continue to have influence, on how his heir turned out. Vegeta couldn't wait to see the man his son would become. Now, Vegeta had yet another young one to help raise, a chance to correct the mistakes he'd made with Trunks. Already, only two months into her life, Vegeta had seen his daughter grow and adapt to the world around her tremendously. And to think, this was only the beginning: a new beginning. Imagine all the things he would see as she grew. The Saiyan Prince did not know what the future held, but for the first time in his life, he was excited to find out. One thing was for sure, things would definitely be interesting with two rambunctious brats running around.
Bulma interrupted her husband's thoughts as she pulled his face to her own and softly kissed him on the lips. Vegeta returned the kiss gently. He had the rest of his life to contemplate on the future. Right now, he was going to live in the present and see where things led.
The End.
Tada! That's the end of the story everyone! I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I have had a blast writing it! I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story. I also want to say thank you for the tremendous feedback I received on Chapter 19. I'm so glad that so many of you liked that chapter! Personally, it is my favorite. Hopefully, you all liked this chapter just as much. I know it has been awhile since my last update and I apologize. I'm sooooooooo sorry!!!!!!!! I'll explain why my update took so long, as well as why I have not done any reviewer responses for the last two chapters.
On February 19th I am going to be moving from my home in Michigan to live all by myself in Kentucky. I received a job offer and will be starting my exciting, college degree-using career next Monday. So, needless to say, I have been swamped in trying to prepare for my move! I never realized how much stuff you need to do when you move into a place of your own! Anyway, wish me luck.
As for the sequel (which has a working title of Life's Little Lessons), I will be starting that as soon as I get some free time. I am hoping to have the first chapter up by early March at the latest…but don't be mad if I'm a little off in my estimate. I don't know how bogged down I will be at work. So, despite my uncertainty in an exact date of publication, please keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of You're What?! I'd love to hear from all of you!
Once again, thank you all around. I don't think I can say it enough. Everyone has been so kind and has truly increased my interest in continuing my fan fiction writing. I hope to hear from all of you soon, and expect to hear from me because, believe it or not, I am still going to try and get these responses up. I don't want anyone to feel like I don't read his or her reviews. I have read and been touched by them all! Ok, now that I am getting extremely sappy, I shall say TTFN.
Until Next Time…